Writing a book and shepherding it into the world is a lot like raising a child, and it’s just as thrilling to see that book take on its own identity, remove itself from your watchful (helicopterish?) gaze, and even reinvent itself into something you never...

A few weeks ago a building near my office was overrun by police cars and media vans. I didn’t know what was going on until someone told me, complete with a meaningful look in one of the spare cubicles, “That’s where the dentist’s office is.” I didn’t need to be told...